OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of letrozole with clomiphene citrate for ovarian stimulation prior to intrauterine insemination. METHODS: A total of 272 patients underwent 362 cycles of stimulation prior to IUI from January 2009 to May 2011. One hundred and twenty-six patients (170 cycles) received letrozole 5 mg and 146 patients ...

BACKGROUND: Rituximab is increasingly being appreciated as a remarkably effective treatment for pemphigus, mostly concomitantly with other immunosuppressive medications. The majority of studies have used a single cycle of rituximab with the same dosage as approved for the treatment of lymphomas, ie, 375 mg/m(2) weekly × 4 weeks. Rituximab is ...

Background: The functional role of the cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI) for common atrial flutter (cAFL) remains to be elucidated. In the present study, we examined whether the EnSite system (St. Jude Medical, St. Paul, MN, USA), a noncontact mapping system, is useful to evaluate the conduction properties of CTI to minimize ...

This investigation describes the sprint performances of the highest international ranked professional male road sprint cyclist during 2008-2011 Grand Tours. Sprint stages were classified as WON, LOST or DROPPED from the front bunch prior to the sprint. Thirty-one stages were video analysed for average speed of the last km, sprint ...

Background: Recent developments in ultrasound have led to a new exploration technique: hydrosonography. Aim: To evaluate diagnostic performance of hysterosonography in the assessment of the uterine cavity, by comparing it with standard transvaginal ultrasound and particularly with diagnostic hysteroscopy. Methods: This is a prospective study over a period of nine ...

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of tamoxifen administration with letrozole in the context of intrauterine insemination (IUI) cycles. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective double-blinded study included 130 patients. After randomization, 65 patients in group A received letrozole + tamoxifen and human menopausal gonadotropin (HMG), whereas 65 patients in group B received placebo ...

AIMS: The aims were to compare a novel conjunctival mould used to assist the delivery of intravitreal drugs to a conventional technique with respect to patient, surgeon and cost benefit. METHODS: A prospective review of 200 intravitreal injections was undertaken, 100 using a 'conventional' freehand technique (group 1) and 100 ...

Background: Cryoablation is an alternative to radiofrequency ablation in treating atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT). However, its long-term effectiveness is in question when compared to radiofrequency ablation. We reviewed the results of cryoablation in children with AVNRT at our institute. Methods: We performed a retrospective single-center chart review of consecutive ...

To compare the skeletal stability of rigid versus semirigid fixation for advancement genioplasty by the assessment of vertical and horizontal measurements pre-operatively and post-operatively on lateral cephalometric radiographs. The study comprised of patients who underwent standard advancement genioplasty by inferior osteotomy of the chin with broadest musculoperiosteal pedicle with either ...

Femoral arterial thrombosis (FAT) is a nonnegligible complication after cardiac catheterization (CC) in infancy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of Doppler ultrasound (US) for diagnostic work-up after catheterization. We compared standard follow-up (FU) without Doppler US by relying on clinical signs of FAT with advanced ...

The role of routine uterine cavity evaluation before an in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) cycle has not been uniformly accepted. Published trials have demonstrated a relatively high incidence of cavitary abnormalities diagnosed at outpatient hysteroscopy in patients with previous IVF-ET cycle failure, the correction of which markedly improves outcomes. The value ...

PURPOSE: There is a suggestion that a dose-rate effect exists for the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) spike after brachytherapy. (131)Cs is a newer radioisotope with a half-life of 9.7 days that is being used for prostate brachytherapy. There is no published data on the PSA spike with this radioisotope and the ...

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between cam impingement, which is hip incongruity by a non-spherical femoral head and development of osteoarthritis.METHODS: A nationwide prospective cohort study of 1002 early symptomatic osteoarthritis patients (CHECK), of which standardised anteroposterior pelvic radiographs were obtained at baseline and at 2 and 5&emsp14;years follow-up. Asphericity ...

This article presents a case of relapse, with isolated neural manifestation, in a multibacillary patient previously treated with multidrug therapy for multibacillary leprosy (24 doses). The patient returned to the service six years after the end of treatment, with pain in hands and legs. He was investigated, and the serological ...

The clinical significance of an isolated reduction in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV(1); i.e., low FEV(1), but normal forced vital capacity [FVC] and FEV(1)/FVC) has not been established. To examine the clinical features of subjects with an isolated FEV(1) reduction. Clinical, spirometry and radiological data were retrospectively collected ...

BACKGROUND: Because of the lack of intraoperative visual cues, the amount of nerve sparing (NS) intended by the surgeon does not always correspond to what is actually performed during surgery. OBJECTIVE: Describe a standardized NS grading system based on intraoperative visual cues. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A total of 133 ...

HYPOTHESIS: The optimal timing for surgical repair of the supraspinatus (SSP) tendon after full-substance tear has not been established. The objectives of this prospective investigation of SSP tendon repair delayed by 1, 2, or 3 months followed by a 3-month postoperative course were to (1) determine the site of failure, ...

Abstract Purpose . To characterize the presence of advocacy groups in media coverage about tobacco issues. Design . A content analysis of tobacco-related newspaper articles. Setting . Australia. Sample . All 12 national and state capital daily newspapers published in Australia between 2004 and 2007. Measures . We coded each ...

To compare first disability and anthropometric variables and second disability and game efficiency measures. Prospective cohort study. Winter Paralympic Games in Vancouver (2010). A sample of 54 (age, 30.85 ± 7.99 y) of the 114 elite ice sledge hockey athletes participated in this study. To be included in the analysis, ...

This study was designed to examine the distance from the posterior lacrimal crest to the posterior margin of the Horner's muscle origin (the PLC-HMO distance), considering their complex anatomical relationship. Eight macroscopic specimens from 8 Japanese cadavers and 7 microscopic specimens from 7 Japanese cadavers, fixed in 10% buffered formalin, ...

This study evaluated the effectiveness of different sealants applied to a nanofiller composite resin. Forty specimens of Filtek Z-350 were obtained after inserting the material in a 6x3 mm stainless steel mold followed by light activation for 20 s. The groups were divided (n=10) according to the surface treatment applied: ...

Total hip replacement (THR) is an effective treatment for reducing pain and improving function and quality of life in patients with hip disorders. While this operation is very successful, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) are significant complications after THR. Different types of intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) devices ...

Purpose: To evaluate the measurement properties of the StepWatch(™) Activity Monitor (SAM) and ActivPAL in COPD. Method: Whilst wearing both monitors, participants performed walking tasks at two self-selected speeds, with and without a rollator. Steps obtained using the monitors were compared with that measured by direct observation. Results: Twenty participants ...

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the effects of exogenous collagenase and two collagenase inhibitors on the variation in microstructure of human collagen fibrils. METHODS: Dentine specimens which were sectioned from 6 freshly extracted human caries-free third molars were wet polished. Each specimen was divided into 4 parts which were treated as ...

The single-procedure efficacy of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is less than optimal in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). Adjunctive techniques have been developed to enhance single-procedure efficacy in these patients. We conducted a study to compare 3 ablation strategies in patients with persistent AF. Subjects were randomized as follows: ...

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of interleaving and expanding retrieval on the retention of physiology concepts. Participants (n = 189) read and then reread 30 immunology and reproductive physiology passages. Half of the participants read and then reread the passages in a blocked manner (e.g., ...

Dynamic knee varus angle and adduction moments have been reported to be reduced after TKA. However, it is unclear whether this reduction is maintained long term. We therefore asked whether (1) the dynamic knee adduction angle and moment remain reduced 1 year after TKA, (2) if changes in adduction moment ...

PURPOSE: To compare and to evaluate the stability of the retentive force of cobalt-chromium (Co-Cr) circumferential clasps (control) to those with an acetyl resin retentive arm. METHODS: Sixteen specimens with a couple of circumferential clasps were made using Co-Cr over a metal model providing 0.25mm undercuts. Eight specimens were fabricated ...

BACKGROUND: The main objective of this study was to improve the structure of a Cabernet Sauvignon red wine in a short period of time by micro-oxygenation (MOX) at high rates (25 and 50 mL L(-1) month(-1) ), the effects of which were evaluated based on sensory characteristics and consumer preference. ...

OBJECTIVE: The use of dural grafts is very useful when primary dural closure cannot be achieved. Our primary objective was to study the incidence of postoperative cerebrospinal fluid leak, including fistula and pseudomeningocele, and postoperative infection by comparing autologous material and a new collagen graft. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective ...

OBJECTIVES: To determine the degree of conversion (DC) over 48h post-curing of resin mixtures containing trimethylbenzoyl-diphenylphosphine oxide (TPO) initiator cured by a polywave or a monowave LED light-curing unit (LCU). METHODS: In resin mixtures based on equal weight percent (wt%) of BisGMA and TEGDMA the following initiators were added: 0.2wt% ...

In infrapelvic obliquity, coronal pelvic malrotation entails a change in the spatial location of the bony acetabulum. In the present study, 77 patients presented with infrapelvic obliquity with types 1 and 2 hip pathologies in which the pelvis is lower and higher, respectively, on the short-leg side. The 2 types ...

The aim of this study is to quantitatively investigate the short-term effects of RF tissue-tightening treatment in in vivo rabbit dermal collagen fibrils. These effects were measured at different energy levels and at varying pass procedures on the nanostructural response level using histology and AFM analysis. Each rabbit was divided ...

Does neighboring group participation actually enhance the reactivity of the anomeric center when the participating group is inherently disarming? To investigate the influence of the neighboring group effect from a 2-O protective group on acidic glycoside hydrolysis, 10 methyl glucosides having different protective groups on O2 have been synthesized and ...

Preventive measures to reduce the risk of decompression sickness can involve several procedures such as oxygen breathing during in-water decompression. Theoretical predictions also suggest that brief periods of recompression during the course of decompression could be a method for controlling bubble formation. The aim of this study was to get ...

To evaluate the effect of anti-VEGF (bevacizumab) injection to the posterior chamber (BIPC) behind the iris combined with seton implantation in treatment of neovascular glaucoma (NVG). Twenty-eight eyes with NVG who underwent BIPC, prospectively evaluated. Anterior segment photographs were taken for grading of neovascularization on anterior segment in pretreatment period ...

We previously tested the P300-based Complex Trial protocol for deception detection against 2 and 4 countered of 4 irrelevant stimuli. The protocol detected 90-100% of these subjects with <10% false positives. We have also shown that Reaction Time (RT) to the first trial stimulus is increased (group effect) with countermeasure ...

: Congenital dislocation of the hip (CDH) and congenital dislocation of the knee (CDK) occurring in the same extremity is a rare condition. Traditional treatment usually involves staged procedures, obtaining knee reduction first, and then addressing the hip once the knee can be flexed adequately. Simultaneous surgical reduction of both ...

Various injectable bulking agents have been used for the treatment of faecal incontinence (FI). However, encouraging early results are not maintained over time. This study aimed to assess short- and medium-term results of a new bulking agent for the treatment of FI. The Gatekeeper(™) prosthesis comprises a thin solid polyacrylonitrile ...

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to (1) assess the migration of EndoButtons (Smith & Nephew Endoscopy, Andover, MA) with or without tissue interposition by comparing the radiographs obtained immediately after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction and those obtained during the follow-up period and (2) investigate the effect of ...

STUDY DESIGN:: A discectomy study on human cadaveric lumbar spine. OBJECTIVE:: The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of manual versus powered discectomies using a transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion approach. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA:: To achieve fusion, removal of nucleus tissue and endplate cartilage is essential for ...